


The Queen of Hearts

by BonnefoyBaggins



Series: Two Lives, Two Hearts, One Soul [2]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, Ed is a bean, Emotional, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sassy Oswald Cobblepot, Torture, Valentine's Day, Violence, Zsasz is good, life threatening situation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 12:19:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13681545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonnefoyBaggins/pseuds/BonnefoyBaggins
Summary: Last years Valentine's Day didn't go as planned and Oswald still feels guilt in forgetting something so important to Ed. So this year Oswald promised to make this one work. He was going to spoil his boyfriend and surpise him with a very important question. But an unexpected visitor puts a damper in their plans.(If you missed the first part you should check it out before reading this.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Erin for helping me finish it, it never would have gotten written without your help.
> 
> Everyone go follow her and show her support. http://my-chemical-romanoff.tumblr.com/

It was the sound of his alarming going off that had Edward waking up, quickly slapping a hand on the clock to shut it up. It was an hour earlier before they usually got up, but he was wanting to get up before the man beside him to surprise him. It was Valentine’s day once again and he was going to make sure nothing ruined it this time. A full day with his beloved, no meetings or phonecalls to make. 24 hours to themselves. It was going to be perfect. Speaking of which, where was Oswald? Ed squints at the empty space beside him, reaching for his glasses and restores his vision. Oswald was not beside him, but a huge teddy bear holding a box of chocolates was. Ed couldn’t help but snort when he squeezed the plush bear’s arm, “this is adorably cliche Ozzie.” Not only was there the bear, but he noticed the bed was covered in rose petals, forming a shape of a heart. “Really cliche,” he chuckles, running a finger over one of the bright red petals.

  
Ed looks towards the door at the sound of it opening, seeing his beloved trying to sneak into the room while holding a tray of breakfast. Oswald pauses in the doorway once he notices he is awake, giving him a smile. “Sorry, did I wake you? I was planning on surprising you with breakfast, after letting you sleep a while longer,” he explains, wabbling over to him. He didn’t have his cane, needing both hands to hold the tray, so his bad leg was dragging awkwardly behind him. Ed wanted to stand up and help, but he knew his partner well enough that he knew he’d want to do it himself.

  
“No you didn’t,“ he replies, smiling when he places the tray on his lap, "I’ve been awake for a few minutes enjoying the decorations. I must have quite the admirer.”

  
Oswald blushed, “Yes you must have.” He leans down, and pulls Edward in gently by the nape of his neck. “Good morning. Happy Valentine’s day”

  
“You remembered this year,” Ed said with a smirk. His partner rolls his eyes and starts to feed him the small bacon strips on the tray.

  
They sat content like this for a bit, talking about nothing truly important. Oswald was entirely in love with Edward in the morning. The man’s hair was disheveled, his glasses were off, and his face was puffy and pink from sleeping in one position all night. He also admired Ed’s muscle tones on his chest, the man didn’t take off his shirt around the mansion enough.  
Oswald coughed once Ed downed his orange juice, “So you told me you had plans for today?”

  
“Planning for months,” Ed said. His grin was toothy and wide, causing Oswald to chuckle.

  
Oswald moves the tray to the counter next to the bed so he can climb on top of Ed without knocking it over. “Did you plan for this?” he leans in to kiss his pretty pink lips. God, he had been restraining himself for the past week just so the valentine’s day romantic pursuits would be so much more enthralling. And they were. He shivered at Ed’s quivering lip. Ed smiled up at him when he pulled away. “Nope.”

  
Oswald pecks him on the lips, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning down so their noses were barely touching. “Good, you’re not the only one who has been planning this for months.” He messed up last year, and he made sure this year would be the Valentine’s day his Ed deserved.

  
“Oh really,” he smirks, puckering his lips to move them enough inches to kiss him. “And what do you have planned, my little bird?”

  
Oswald pulls back with a whine of protect from Ed, tilting his head just slightly and winking. “it is a surprise, one I am sure you’ll like.”

  
Edward smiles, running his hand down his love’s back. The silk pajamas feeling smooth against his palm. “Does it involve putting this rose covered bed to good use?” It was a little early for such antics, but Oswald has been avoiding such activities for weeks and him sitting on his crotch right now wasn’t helping.

  
“Oh god yes,” Oswald mutters against his lips, and the both fall back into a soft heaven, pleasure rising immensly. Needless to say their morning, though unplanned, had them both blushing and alert for the rest of the day.

  
They are in the living room snuggling by the fire place. It was cold outside, and there was nothing like spending time with each other, just talking. Other hobbies were tegious affairs. Well murdering and criminality were always fun weekend activities. Oswald blushes brightly, knowing exactly what he needed to ask Ed. He wondered if it was too early for it. But, mustering up enough courage, he implied his meaning. “I have an extra special gift for you this year,” Oswald whisperes, feeling the weight of the ring box in his suit pocket. Ed stares back at him, eyes glossy and pupils wide.

  
“Oh? Even better then the pajamas from last year,” he teased, their fingers entwined with each other’s as they stared into the cracking fire. The mansion had a comfortable warmth to it now, the cold outdoor weather now forgotten by them.

  
Oswald chuckles and snuggles closer in his arms, “you hush I know you love those pajamas. But yes, I’d say this gift is much better than some PJs.”  
Ed brings Oswald’s hand up to kiss his knuckles, letting his lips linger a few seconds before settling their hands back to his lap. It was cute his boyfriend had such a special surprise for him, one he is sure he will love. But with a weight of a ring box in his own pocket, he had him beat once again. Not that it was a competition or anything, though he’d be winning if it was.  
“Looks like I have some pressure now, already you are beating what you did for me last year. Tasty breakfast in bed, roses, Mr. Riddle, and good morning sex, already pulling out all the stops. I have to up my game for this year.”

  
“I say you do, it’s going to be pretty hard to do better then the cane. Even though it didn’t work a couple of times.”

  
“It was only three times, nothing we couldn’t handle and we made them pay in the end.”

  
“Mmm, of course. Even though we did end up with-” Oswald stops mid sentence suddenly remember something he had said. He leans up off of him so he could look him in the eyes. “Wait….Mr. Riddles? You named the teddy bear?”

  
Edward blinks and tilts his head, playing innocent “Well I had to give him a name, he is going to be sitting in our room and we can’t just call him that bear all the time.”

  
Oswald bursts into a fix of giggles, cupping his cheeks to kiss him. “You are such a dork, I love you.”

  
“You’re the dork, dummy.” Ed kissed his nose. “What might this gift be that you speak of?” He trails kisses down Oswald’s chin, despite asking him a question, he revelled in distracting him like this. Oswald ran a hand through his brown hair.

  
“It’s very important,” he said softly. Edward leaned back, giving him a little space. Oswald didn’t normally use that tone, He hoped nothing was wrong, or else the ring in his pocket might have to wait, and he didn’t want that. He had been preparing for weeks. Oswald shifted slightly in the couch, his face turning completely red. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.

  
Edward put a firm hand on his shoulder, turning and moving out of their embrace so he could look him in the eyes. “Anything Oswald, anything at all.” It was somewhat reminiscent of the words he had spoken to Oswald all those years ago on this couch when they had sat here together for the first time. He didn’t want to break that promise again. “Anything,” he whispered again.

  
Oswald felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest, he was feeling light headed and he did not need to faint now. He just needed to ask him, just like he has been practising. He remembers what happened last time he was late on telling Ed what was on his mind, and that couldn’t happen again. It was going to be hard for him to get down on one knee, but proposing in the same spot he realized he was in love with him was apart of his plan.

  
“Ed…I…” He gulps, taking in a deep breath to calm himself. His mind was going blank, that wasn’t good.

  
“Is everything alright Oswald? You can tell me anything, I promised you I’d always be here for you…if something is wrong…you need to tell me,” Ed’s voice was soft, his hand still squeezing his hand and shoulder lightly.

  
Oswald shakes his head, hand hovering over his pocket “No..nothing is wrong, everything is perfect…completely perfect. That is why I need to tell you this..I…I am messing this up…I just need to say it..” Ed was looking at him so patiently and supportively, as if he was ready to drop everything to help him if he needed it. “Ed…I love you, I never want to leave your side…you make me so happy, happier than I have ever been in my life. So…that is why I need to tell you-”

  
The doorbell ringing had them both freezing and looking towards the hall. “Just ignore it, they’ll go away,” Ed tells him, usually he’d never ignore the door, but his focus was on Oswald right now. But when it was clear the person clearly wasn’t leaving, he sighs and makes his way to stand up. Oswald stops him, placing his hand on his knee.

  
“I’ll get it, you just wait here.” He grabs his cane and fixes his suit once he stands. “The nerve of some people, does nobody in this city care what day it is. It better be important,” he mumbles as he makes his way to the door. If it wasn’t important whoever it was was getting a very rude response.

  
“What,” he grumbles, glaring as he swings the door open. But once he saw who it was, everything stopped. The women was wearing a sweet smile, looking no different than the last time he saw her. “No…it can’t be,” his face paled as he looks at the face of the women he had killed. “You….you’re dead,” he backed away, needing to get to Ed or get something to defend himself. But as the ghost moves closer to him Oswald opens his mouth to scream for Ed, Isabella cut him off by pushing a cloth against his mouth. His cane dropped to the floor with a thud, struggling against his attacker as the chemicals on the cloth filled his lungs. The room quickly began to spin and everything went dark.

  
Ed sits up the minute he hears struggling. He had heard only the mumblings of voices, but now he her a leg hit the wall in a commotion, and loud groaning from behind something like a towel or cloth. “Oswald?” he called. When he didn’t recieve an answer, he bolted up from the couch and headed to the door. When he turned to into the hall, she was standing there waiting for him. He didn’t have time to process who it was before she knocked him out with a hard force.

  
Everything hurt. He could feel it in his head, in his back. He wanted to reach up to rub his temples, but his arms and legs were strapped down tightly to a chair. “Oswald,” he said, panic returning to him in an instant. “Where?” He looked to his right to see Oswald, in the same predicament. He pulled at his restraints.

  
“Oswald wake up,” he begged. God, if anyone hurt him he would kill the entire city just to make sure he got revenge.

  
Oswald blinked his eyes open and Ed sighed in relief. “Where are we?” Oswald asks tiredly. As he starts to come back to himself, panic surges throughout him too.

  
“We’re in some sort of abandoned warehouse it seems,” Ed whispers

  
“Did they harm you?” Oswald demands.

  
Ed shakes his head but lookes down at the ropes that are binding them. “They did manage to make sure we can’t escape though. Do you have any idea who took us?”

  
Oswald’s heart stopped. “You …. you didn’ see her?”

  
“Who?”

  
Oswald opened his mouth to respond, but there were footsteps approaching them.

  
Ed’s heart stopped when he saw her, he felt the whole world come to a stop when he sees his former lover very much alive.

  
“Is…Isabella…how..” Ed looks over at Oswald, whose hands were in a tight fist as he looked back at Ed with concern. Isabella smirks, walking over to stand in between them both. She looked slightly different now, her hair longer and back in a ponytail, her wardrobe now being boots and a tight zip up suit. She did not look like the librarian he fell for, the normal innocent woman, but an assassin. But she still looked so much like her, it made him sick to his stomach.

  
“I know, must be a shock for you both isn’t it?” She leans down to meet their level, snarp eyes looking between them. “How can I be standing here, how can I be alive. Well after I got hit by that train, thanks for that by the way. I woke up a few days later in some lab. Turns out this new body is pretty sturdy, takes a lot to damage it. They said they’d help me, fix it so I really did seem dead. I found out later they sent a fake corpse for you to see, so you’d believe I was really dead.”

  
Oswald couldn’t make sense of any of this, what she was saying wasn’t registering for him. “Isabelle, there is no reason for Ed to be here. I’m the one who wanted you dead, I’m the one who had you killed or atleast tried to kill you. Ed has nothing to do with this.”

  
“It’s Isabella,” Ed whispers.

  
“Not now Ed.”

  
“Shut up,” Isabella growls, slapping Oswald hard against the cheek as she turns to point at Ed. “This has everything to do with him, you are both here because of him.”

  
“Please, Isabella..we can talk about this, work this out. You don’t have to go through with this, it isn’t you” Ed tries to reason with her, she was angry and this could get dangerous if he didn’t do something.

  
“My name isn’t Isabella,” she shouts, grabbing Ed’s face and digging her nails in his cheeks. “Waking up…really cleared my head, perhaps I should thank your jealous admirer over there. If it wasn’t for him I’d still be living in a illusion. But now I remember everything, I remember who I used to be and who I really am. I remember what you did to me!” She let’s him go and slowly walks behind his chair, grabbing a fist full of his hair and jerking his head back. “I remember….how you killed me, how you took away my life and my happiness. Do you know who I am Edward? You used to send me stupid riddles, god the riddles. You would not leave me alone! You drove me crazy! You killed my boyfriend, you killed me you psychic freak!”  
She curls a hand around his throat, breathing heavily, lost in the moment. Ed coughs, trying to regain his breath. “K-kristen?”

  
“Damn right.”

  
Oswald’s eyes widened. He had no idea what was going on. How could she be back. Hadn’t Edward chopped her up into pieces? Strange can’t be that talented can he? Why had she come back as some floozy dim witted librarian. It made no sense to him, but all that mattered now was protecting Ed, and he wasn’t doing a very good job. He struggled in his roped. “Don’t hurt him. Kill me. Please.” Pathetic, he knew that, but he had to distract her at least, somehow.

  
Thankfully it works. She took her hand off of Ed’s throat and he hacked, spit flying from his lips.

  
Oswald growled. “Why did you bring us here? What the hell is it you want? Our lives? Well lady you aren’t gonna get his that’s for damn sure.”

  
She laughed, and kicked his chair mildly. “His? No darling, I want to take your life. I thought that might be obvious.” Oswald was filled with some form of relief that she wasn’t here to hurt Ed, physically at least. Suddenly, she kicked his chair harder and it tipped over. He felt the brute force of his shoulder slamming into the pavement below him. He cried out in agony and wormed around on the ground trying to escape the searing pain.

  
Ed shouted, “Oswald!” He had been seemingly distracted up until now. All of this was far too much for him to process.

  
Emotions were buzzing through his head like wildfire. "What the hell,” he muttered. He had never been so confused and it was painful.

  
“Sorry Ozzie, I need a moment to speak with Ed without you interrupted,” she said snarkily. Ed gulped, staring at where Oswald was heaving and groaning on the ground before she grabbed his face in her hands and ripped him up to meet her eyes.

  
She was holding Ed’s jaw painfully tight, he never knew she was this strong. Perhaps being brought back to life has something to do with that. Ed stares into the eyes of the woman he had loved, the woman who was now threatening the life of the man he loves. He was still so confused, he didn’t understand and didn’t know what to do.

  
“I’m surprised you two are together,” she tells him, “with him trying to kill me and everything. If you loved me so much, I’d think you’d want him out of your life and yet I see he is very much apart of it. You two made the front page, the most talked about couple in Gotham.”

  
“We both put each other through enough pain and torment,“ Ed mumbles through his gripped jaw, "Oswald proved how much he loves me, and I realized how much I love him. I need him, and he needs me. We both admitted we went to far and apologized, it doesn’t change what we did to each other. Those scars won’t heal, we know that. But we have a promise now, to always be honest and talk with each other.” Ed looks over at Oswald, who had turned his head to look at him. His eyes were still filled with pain, but he looked at him with such love and trust.

Kristen rolls her eyes, “So sweet, I think I might cry. But it only makes sense that you would be with each other, since both of you are a monster, freak, and a psychopath. Only naturally you’d be together. But neither of you deserve to be alive, not after what you did. If this city won’t take care of you, I will.”

Oswald laughs hoarsely, swinging his body until his chair was on its back “you kidnapped us, tied us up, and plan on killing me. You are just as bad us we are.” That earned him a quick kick to the ribs, making him gasp out in pain.

"I told you to be quiet! I am speaking with Edward,” she growls, delivering another sharp kick to his ribs before directing her next comment at Ed. “I am going to kill him, and you are going to watch. I am going to cut him to pieces, just like you did with me. I want you to go through what I went through.”

“He has already been through it,” Oswald wheezed, trying to catch his breath but the pain in his side was making that difficult. “He loved you twice, you bitch. It was an accident-”

Kristen grabs the chair and jerks him back up, snarling in his face. “Shut up, he didn’t love me. He never loved me. It wasn’t an accident! He strangled me! He cut me up and buried me in the woods! You defending his actions makes you as bad as he is!”

Oswald suddenly realized she had a knife out once she presses the cold blade to his throat. But he wasn’t going to be intimidated by someone like her. He has dealt with worse threats and torture.

“He shot me and threw me in the river, the man has a strange way of showing his love,” he chuckles, hissing when the knife nicked his throat.

She was crazy, and they knew they needed to figure a way out of this. Kristen pushed the knife against Oswald’s throat, causing another hiss to escape his lips as the small line of blood slide down his neck. She was glaring at Oswald, but they knew she was speaking to Ed "Why should you get to live a normal life? Why should you be happy? I am fixing that tonight, I am taking away your happiness. I am taking away your life, by taking his.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this story. I am really proud of it and it means the world to me.
> 
> Comments are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has the most violence, so careful reading.
> 
> This story would never have been posted without Erin. She is a talented writer and artist.
> 
> Please go follow her and send some love: http://my-chemical-romanoff.tumblr.com/

“I’ll do anything!” Ed pleaded. “Please…” He knew she was adding pressure to the blade against Oswald’s throat as he spoke. “I…I wanted him dead after he killed you. I shot him for murdering you!”

  
“Dead? Then why do I have a knife to his throat? Huh, Edward?” Kristen takes the knife off his throat and points it at Ed, walking over to him to press the tip to his cheek. “I wouldn’t be threaten to kill a dead man.”

  
“Ed, be quiet,” Oswald hisses, trying once again to pull out of his restraints. This wasn’t the sweet innocent librarian anymore, this wasn’t even Kristen Kringle. Whatever happened to her changed her. Oswald is going to have to deal with her like he would any other petty criminal. Edward is only going to anger her more if he keeps at it.

  
“Don’t feed me that crap,” she warns, voice threatening. “You just told me how in love you are, how you have forgiven him. I don’t want to hear it.” She stabs the knife down on the arm of the chair, just missing Ed’s arm. “This isn’t even about that. I don’t care what he did to me when I was her. This is between you and me. This is about me making you suffer.”

  
“I never stopped loving you, Kristen,” Edward confessed. Oswald knew that Ed was trying to buy them both time, but he knew it wasn’t going to end well. “I regret killing you. And now, seeing you here…It’s made me realize that I still love you,” Ed continued, refusing to make eye contact with Oswald. He could hear him fighting against his restraints.

  
As soon as the words left his mouth Kristen was rolling her eyes. “What did I just say? I told you to not give me that crap.” She quickly swipes the blade against his arm, creating a short cut. “Did you think I’d suddenly stop the revenge I’ve been planning for months? Try and give me another story like that and it’ll be a different one, but this time on the bird.” She was planning on hurting Oswald anyway, but Ed understood the threat.

  
The red head walks back over to Oswald, leaning down to stare at his glaring face. “For someone who runs the criminal underground you should know that’s a stupid move.” She laughs, shaking her head. “Really Ed, aren’t you supposed to be brilliant? If you want to go will the story of you still loving me and how you don’t care about him next time do it before you tell me how much he means to you.”

  
“Forgive me for trying to buy time,” Ed breathed, hissing as the cut stung his arm. “I plan on walking out of here alive. With Oswald,” he clarified.

  
Kristen narrowed her eyes at him. “I have you both where I want you,” she sneered. “You’re not as bright as you used to be, are you, Eddie?”

  
“My brain is working just as well as it always is,” He sneers back, not meaning to say it with such venom. But nobody gets away with insulting his intelligence. Except for Oswald.

  
“Clearly not if you really think either of you are leaving here alive. Even Oswald understands this situation is one neither of you are getting out of.” She puts away her knife and claps her hands together. “Now, I think we have chatted enough haven’t we.”

  
Oswald tightened his fists. “I understand the situation. I don’t care if you kill me, but don’t hurt Ed. Let him go and I’ll give you everything I have,” he bargained. “Gotham can be yours. Ed will let my men know that they follow your orders…”

  
Ed bowed his head. “So what? She’ll kill me once she has your empire…” Like Oswald, he was struggling to think of a way out.

  
Oswald looks at his lover, frowning at the look of defeat on his face. “Edward-“

  
“No he is right, I’d definitely kill him. But I don’t care about this city, why would I care about running it? I don’t care about leading a bunch of criminals. I want every person like you where they belong.”

  
Kristen walks over to the side of the room they hadn’t been paying attention to, picking up a wooden bat. “Dead in the ground.”

 

“I’ll come back to haunt you if you hurt Ed, you bitch!” Oswald spat.

 

Kristen laughs, leaning against the bat. “Haunt me all you want, it won’t change the fact that after you are dead I will be slitting your lover’s throat.”

 

Edward started to breathe heavily, his mind racing and going over every possible way of escaping. But everyone was a dead end. Zsasz wasn’t coming, nobody knows where they are. The binds are to strong, no amount of tugging would break them. She was going to kill Oswald and he can’t do a think to save him.

 

“Oh! I just remembered what day it is,” Kristen chirps, smiling as she looks between them. “I should wish you two love birds a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

 

“I’ll see you in hell you crazy bitch.”

 

“Now Oswald, that isn’t a very nice thing for your boyfriend to hear on this special day.”

 

She looks at the bat and sets it to the side, taking her knife back out. “Why don’t we make you look all pretty for him.”

 

Oswald glares at her, leaning forward to snarl in her face once she was close enough. “I’m going to kill you.”

 

Kristen chuckles, “I believe it’s going to be the other way around.” She starts to swipe her knife against the fabric of his suit, cutting it off him piece at a time until his chest was in view for them.

 

Oswald huffs, looking at the ruined pieces of his best suit on the warehouse floor. “I’ll be sending you the bill for that.”

 

The sound of gasping breaths had Oswald turning his attention towards Ed, eyes widening when he saw his condition. Edward was having a panic attack. His boyfriend had them on a few occasions, needing his help to calm him down before he made himself pass out.

 

“Ed! Edward, look at me,” Oswald tells him, raising his voice to snap him out of it. Once he was looking at him he gives him a small smile. “Just breathe Ed, just calm down. It’s going to be okay. Let me handle this.”

 

“Don’t lie to him, bird brain!” Kristen sneers. She presses the tip of her blade against Oswald’s chest. “I think I’ll choke the life out of him,” she smirks, turning to Ed. “Then I’ll chop him up into little pieces…Sound familiar?”

 

Oswald grunts as the tip of the blade digs into his chest, a drop of blood pooling out of it. He opens his mouth to spit a comeback to her, but her free hand dart to his throat and slowly applies pressure. Edward shakes his head, his eyes now wet with tears that threatened to spill. “Please! Kristen, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for what I did to you. I never meant to hurt you, I never meant for any of it to happen. I wanted to protect you, I was afraid.”

 

Kristen huffs, pushing the blade in more, causing Oswald to choke around her hand. “You are only sorry now because I am a threat. If you were sorry you would have turned yourself in, not defiled my body and left me in an unmarked grave.” Oswald let out a gasp once she lets go of his throat, the dagger being pulled off him. “Neither one of you regret a thing in your life, not one death was an accident. You abuse this city and use its people like your own puppets. The police does nothing, you keep getting away with it.” She was in Ed’s face now, holding his chin. Her eyes were like daggers, full of hate and revenge. “Now, be quiet and watch. I want you to watch as I cut him to pieces until he is screaming for me to finish him off. Don’t make me gag you Edward.”

With a small slap to his cheek she turns back to Oswald, tapping the deadly blade over his heart. “So birdy, how about we start.”

 

Oswald grits his teeth and tries to hold back a cry of pain as the blade digs deeply into his flesh. Kristen slide the blade along his skin, cutting and scaring the flesh. He stares ahead, nails digging into his palm as the psychotic women cuts the design over his heart. It was painful, but nothing he couldn’t hold his tongue through. He has been beaten and shot and almost killed a number of times. A simple women cutting a heart onto his chest wasn’t going to make him scream yet.

 

“He may not be pretty, but he’s a tough one,” Kristen croons. “I wish you were a little more fun,” she tells Oswald.

 

“Kristen, no!” Ed shouts as she raises the blade above her head.

 

“Scream for your boyfriend, Ozzie, or I’ll send this knife in between his eyes!”

 

Oswald’s eyes flicker to Ed’s as Kristen plunges the blade into Oswald’s shoulder. He cries out and breaks eye contact with his partner.

 

“O-Oswald!” Ed chokes.

 

“That’s more like it,” Kristen laughs, “but I think you can scream louder then that.” She twists the knife, threatening to pop his shoulder out of socket. Oswald jerks against the chair and screams. The pain was making him see stars.

 

“Stop,” Edward cries, letting out a choked sob as he met his boyfriends eye. “Oswald,” Ed whispers, wincing as he let out another cry of pain. Kristen pulls out the knife, wiping the blood on Oswald’s pants. “That’s more like it, don’t pass out on us though.”

 

Oswald pants, whimpering as his shoulder twitched and bled. “I….I’m,” he licks his lips, looking up at her, “I’m going to kill you.”

 

Kristen laughs, looking at Ed “he is a tough cookie. I see why you like him.”

 

“I’ll do anything!” Ed begs. “Please leave him alone.” He knows that Oswald has had enough despite the strong front he displays.

 

“You’re getting boring, Edward,” Kristen remarks, nicking his cheek with her knife.

 

Oswald feels a renewed energy as he watches blood trickle down Ed’s cheek. “You’re the only boring one here…I let my opponents put up a fair fight against me.”

 

“Are these fights as fair as letting someone get hit with a train?”

 

“Let me go and I’ll make sure the train does the job this time.”

 

“Tempting,” Kristen sighs, “but I think I’ll just do this.” She turns to Ed and swiftly stabs the blade in his thigh causing Edward to scream in pain. “There, that’s much more entertaining.”

 

“Don’t touch him!” The vein in Oswald’s neck becomes more pronounced as he shouts. “Stay away from him!” He knows that fighting his restraints is only wasting energy, but he wants Kristen’s attention to be only on him. Ed tries to tell Oswald that he’s fine, but words fail. He’s never been one for handling pain well.

 

“Stop, you said you would be hurting me not him.” Oswald bares his teeth, flinching as the knife was pulled out of Ed. The brunette whimpers, his leg erupting with pain. “Focus on me,” he needed to keep her attention on him as long as he could. Even if it meant he’d bleed out before help arrived. He knows the likelihood of help coming was not even a present of a chance. But he had to hope Victor would be out looking for them by now. “You have barely given me a scratch. A shoulder wound and a childish doodle on my chest, I was excepting something more threatening.”

 

“While my plan was to kill you first, your reaction doesn’t make me want to stay away from him,” she grins, tapping the bloody knife against Ed’s cheek. “He’s a screamer, and you are a lot more threatening.”

 

“You said you wanted to hurt Ed, by hurting me you will be hurting him a lot more. Stab him, cut him, shot him. Doesn’t matter. By doing it to me it would cause him more pain then doing it to him.” Oswald dared to meet Ed’s eyes, wishing he hadn’t right away. His stomach clinched as he saw the tear slide down his cheek and mingle with the blood from the knife. Oswald could see in his eyes Ed wanted to take all the pain Kristen would give him. He remembers when they first got together, the whispers of promise as their lips met for the first time. How Ed promised to protect him, to never let any pain come to him again. How today he was ready to drop everything to make him feel less nervous. Those beautiful eyes telling him he’d do anything for him.

 

“Kill me, and leave Edward alive.” Ed tried to protest, shaking his head but Oswald continued. “Kill me, do whatever you want with me. But don’t hurt him.”

 

Kristen chuckles, taking the knife off of Edward. “How about, I torture you until you die from your wounds and I will just give Eddie a quick bullet between the eyes.”

 

Oswald gulps, but he nodded. If they both were going to die, he would rather Ed get the least painful end. “Look at you taking one for the team,” Kristen says, taking a gag and tying it around Ed’s mouth. Oswald watches her, Ed screaming around the gag as she comes up behind Oswald and jerks his head back. “And did you know, that there is not an I in team?” Oswald looks at her in confusion before she holds the sharp tip over his widening eye.

 

“N-No,” he stutters automatically, scalp burning as he tries to jerk his head out of her strong grip. The pain was the worst he’s ever experienced in his life. His throat felt raw from the scream that was ripped from his throat. The knife sliced through his closed eye, cutting over his eyebrow and down his cheek. The bitch was going slow on purpose, dragging it out as long as she could. The blood poured down his face, closing off his vision as the pain almost made him pass out. It was torture, it was sick pure torture.

 

Ed had knocked his chair on his side as he tried to fight his way over to him, sobbing and screaming around the gag in his mouth. Oswald could taste the blood in his mouth and his mutilated eye throbbed horribly. There was some relief once she stopped, but it was short-lived. Oswald let out a sob as the knife went to his other eye, keeping it closed in defense. “Please,” he whimpers, not meaning to beg or sound so pathetic.

 

"Oh,” Kristen gasps, as if she just realized something important. “That’s right, there isn’t an I in team. But there is an eye in Penguin. Only one eye.” She laughs, looking at his bleeding and swelling eye.

 

Ed jerks in his chair as he attempts to scoot closer to Oswald. He finds himself turning sideways and Kristen laughs. "Looks like he'll never look at you the same way again," Kristen taunts, a pleased smirk across her face as she looms over Ed. "Maybe you two should match," she muses.

 

"Ta-" Oswald is feeling lightheaded and the scent of iron makes him want to vomit. "Take my other eye." Ed's teeth feel ready to break as he bites down on the gag. His body flails and his head smacks the floor until he has Kristen's attention. He shoots her an unblinking glare. If he could, he would carve his own eye out himself if it meant sparing Oswald.

 

“I’m only joking. I want Ed to be able to see you completely and I want you to watch your death come for you.” Kristen taps Ed’s nose and got back up. She puts her hands on Oswald’s shoulder. “Oh, that looks painful. Hurts, doesn’t it?”

 

"I’ve....had worse,” he lies, it hurt like hell but thankfully the loss of blood was numbing the pain.

 

"Liven up, Ozzie!" She lifts his chin and admires her handiwork. Oswald wants to spit in her face, but it's taking everything he has to stay conscious and remember to breathe. "Does this hurt worse than your poor leg? Which one is the bad one again?" Oswald glares at her the best he could with his good eye. Kristen snaps her fingers and points to the bad leg. “Oh yes, of course it’s the deformed and grotesque looking one.”

 

He ignores her and chooses to watch Ed as he struggles on the floor. Oswald knows that Ed isn't a fighter. Even if he managed to escape Ed couldn't fight her, weapon or not. It left very little option for escape. Ed's form becomes a green blur, but a tap on his right knee brings him back from the haze.

 

Kristen taps his good knee humorously. "You weren't very handsome before, so I really can't call this a waste of beauty." She picks up the bat again, using the end of it to lift up his face. "Never understood why Edward here would want to put his cock in you."

"I hope you die terribly," Oswald pants, spitting out the blood that got in his mouth onto her shoes. "I hope Zsasz kills you slowly."

 

Kristen clicks her tongue, moving the bat over her shoulder and looks down at her ruined shoe. "Very rude Oswald. I thought you had some manners.”

 

“Fuck y-“

 

There was the woosh of the bat, a snap of a bone, and Oswald’s scream of pain as Kristen brought the bat down against his good knee. “I said, manners.”

 

Ed's howls drown out Oswald's. He thrashes violently as tears sting his eyes. Oswald knows that he needs to be strong for Ed, but his head is throbbing and the pain from his shattered knee is blinding. He chokes out a sob of pain, tears sliding out of his good eye as the pain went through his body like a tornado. Kristen sent a swing to his chest, then another, knocking the wind out of him as he chokes out another cry of pain. “Ed,” he whimpers, the man he loves more then life itself looked up at him with tears of his own spilling from his eyes. “I love you,” he hated humoring this bitch, but he wanted Ed to hear those words at least once more. Kristen raises the bat over her head and Oswald closes his eyes, waiting for her to crack his skull open. But it never came, only Ed’s muffled sobs filled the room. He opens his eye to see her vile face smirking at him.

 

“You thought I’d kill you like that? Oh no, that would be to easy. I will break that shoulder of yours though.” She raises the bat again and Ed howls, stopping her mid swing. Kristen goes over and leans down beside him, taking the gag off Ed and fixing his chair upright. “That’s better, have something to say Eddie?”

 

"I wish I cut you into smaller pieces!" he snaps. "Teeny tiny pieces so that you wouldn't be put back together again! No wonder you liked Dougherty so much! You were both monsters!" Ed continues fighting his restraints. "My biggest regret is having feelings for you! Oswald and I are getting out of here"! he threatens. "And before we leave, I'll carve your eyes out! I'm breaking your knees! And smashing your skull in!"

 

Kristen laughs, leaning over as her sick laugh filled the room. “Oh Eddie, still you think you have the upper hand. Still you think your brains alone will get you out of it. When I can so easily have them splattered on the floor.” She swiftly pulls out a gun and presses it against his forehead. Oswald let’s out a whimper, fighting hard against unconsciousness. Ed just snarls at her, leaning forward as if daring her to pull the trigger. “That would be a waste,” she smiles, “a shame to destroy just a brilliant mind. His on the other hand.” She turns, pointing the gun Oswald “I won’t mind painting the walls with his.” She kept the gun on him, studying their reaction before lowering the weapon. “Wait, did you really think I was going to kill poor little Oswald?” The two men look at each other, then back to her with confusion. “No, no, you have me mistaken. You see, you are going to kill him Edward.”

 

Every muscle in his body tenses. His stomach sinks and the room falls eerily quiet. "What?"

 

"You get the honor," Kristen repeats. "Don't worry. This will be easy. You already did it once before."

 

“No,” Ed whispers, shaking his head “I won’t. I refuse.”

 

"Refuse and I will kill him myself. I’ll cut him open and let his organs fall onto the floor. I’ll break his fingers and his toes. He will die the worst death imaginable.” The color drains from Ed’s face, mouth opening in closing in shock. “It’s simple Edward. I give you the gun and you shoot him. Quick and easy. Afterwards I will be kind enough to kill you quickly.”

 

Kristen's voice sounds as if she's speaking from another room. "Do it," Oswald rasps. "Ed..." He can barely stay conscious, but it's helping to keep the pain away. Kristen clicks her tongue. "Poor thing... Better make it fast, Ed. I'd hate to gut him when he's dead."

 

Edward looks at his lover, at his beaten and bloody form. He could tell how weak and tired Oswald was. Oswald has had enough, no matter what he says he can't take much more of this. Ed couldn't shoot him, he couldn't pull that trigger again. But he can't let her touch him, he couldn't let her hurt him anymore. "Okay," he whispers, "okay." With a click the metal bind around his right hand comes free, making him instantly dive forward in an attempt to rip her throat out. Kristen was expecting that and stepped back just out of reach.

 

"I wouldn't do that Edward, kill me and it goes right back to what I said before. Oswald dies, but very painfully. You think I am alone? The second the gun goes off my men will come in here and see who took the bullet. If it is me, then they've been told to dispose of both of you very gruesomely."

 

"You are lying," Ed growls. She had to be bluffing, what men could she have possible gotten.

 

Kristen smiles, that sick smile he can't look at anymore. "Would you like to risk it? My men will come in here to see who is dead. If it is who it's suppose to be, then I will put another bullet in the gun and let you die just like your boyfriend." Another click and his other hand was free. "It's a very easy choice. Behave, and this all will be over soon." The final two clicks and Ed was free. His leg was still hurting, but thankfully by the looks of it she didn't hit an artery or anything vital. Kristen watched as he stood up on shaky legs, ignoring her offer him the gun and stumbling over to Oswald.

 

"Oswald," Ed cries, reaching up to gently cup his cheeks. His wounds looked even worse up close. He needed medical attention and quick. "Oh Oswald, I'm so sorry. I never want...I never wanted this to happen." Oswald leans into his touch, eye closed as he enjoyed the first gentle touch he's had in hours. "It'll be okay. I promise." Kristen taps the gun against his shoulder, Ed snatching it from her. "Can you leave us alone? Just for a few minutes? Please, just let me speak with him. You can at least give us that. I...I'll do it, just give me a moment alone with him."

 

"You...interrupted before...." Oswald's voice is quiet and hoarse.

 

"Five minutes," Kristen agrees. "I won't be far." She unlocks the door that led to their freedom, stepping out and closing it behind her.

 

Ed kneels down before Oswald and sets the gun on the floor. "I know we're getting out of this, Oswald. By now someone should know something is up." It was a lie, and they both knew it. Nobody knew where they were or where to look. "I had the whole day planned out for us." He looks into Oswald's good eye and wipes a tear away. His skin feels cold.

 

"So did I," Oswald manages. He knows that Kristen is counting down the seconds and he'll be damned if she ruins the one thing he was determined to make happen today. "Ed...Reach into my pocket. The right."

 

Edward looks at the door for a second, not wanting Kristen to come back in the moment he gets what Oswald wants him to have. If it's about what Oswald was trying to tell him this morning then he'd fight tooth and nail to make sure they weren't interrupted this time. He reaches into his pant pocket, careful not to move his broken knee in any way. Ed pulls out a small black box, the surface smooth and shiny. "Oswald, what is this," he asks, turning it around in his hand.

 

"Ed," Oswald clears his throat, like hell would he let this conversation be ruined. "I love you, I have for a long time now." Oswald's heart beat steadily in his ears, the nerves from before were gone and made saying this easier. "I know that you are my soulmate and the person I'm destined to be with. The man I will spend the rest of my life with, even if that life will only last a few more minutes." Ed's eyes were getting wider, letting Oswald know he has figured out where this is going. "I'm sorry, I can't get down on one knee and this isn't the first choice I'd have as a spot to ask you this. It's not even all of what I planned to say, but I know I have to rush this. Open the box, please." Edward gulps and nods, hands shaking as he opened the black box. He gasps and covers his mouth as he looks at the ring resting on green velvet. It was made of white gold, a purple and green stone shining brightly on it. In-between the two stones was an ingraved umbrella. "Oswald," he breaths, looking up at him with no words able to leave his mouth.

 

"Edward Nygma, will you marry....me," Oswald asks, voice soft and full of emotion.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for hurting the boys. 
> 
> One more part to go.
> 
> Please comment and tell us what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last past. I'm truly proud of what we finished and I hope you all enjoy it.

Ed looks at him and down at the ring, quickly setting the box on his lap. Oswald felt his stomach drop at that. Ed didn't want to marry him? He could have at least humored him, he was dying anyway. At least let him think the love of his life felt the same. Oswald was to busy have an inner crisis to notice Ed pulling a box of his own out of his pocket and getting down on one knee. It hurt his leg and angered the wound, but he didn't care. "You complete idiot," Ed laughs, tears in his eyes. "You are the bravest, smartest, most stubborn, most beautiful man I have ever met. I love you, I think I always have. You can be so annoying at times and drive me crazy. But once it's all over, I just end up loving you more." Oswald was staring at him in shock now, his good eye wide open and mouth stuttering. "Oswald Cobblepot, will you marry me?" He opens the box, showing him a ring of white gold resting on purple velvet. It looked identical to his own ring, except this one had a question mark ingraved between the two stones. Oswald laughs, tears falling down his face as he smiles the best he could.

 

"I asked you first Edward Nygma. You know you can't answer a question with a question."

 

"You are right." Edward leans up, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "Yes." Such a simple word, just a simple word whispered between their lips. But he caused so much emotion to bubble up between them. Oswald leans forward to kiss him again, the two of them not pulling apart for another few breathless seconds. Oswald's lips were just as cold as his cheek. Ed pulls back and rubs the tears from his eyes, taking the ring from his box. Oswald relaxes his fingers, letting his fiance slide the ring onto his finger. Since Oswald’s hands were still locked to the chair he couldn’t assist Ed with putting on his own ring, so Ed had to do it himself.

 

"Victor helped me with the design of the ring," Ed admits, kissing the ring now that it was on the finger of the man he loves. "I assume he helped you with yours as well?" Oswald nods, chuckling along with Ed. "Figures, he made sure we both had matching rings."

 

"He is just trying to butter us up so one of us will pick him as a best man," Oswald jokes.

 

"We're going to get married, Oswald," Ed states, bringing his face close to his fiance's. "It's going to be a beautiful wedding. We'll make a big, public display of it!" He tries to laugh but a sob is the only thing to escape his throat. "And..." He's sure he only has seconds left by now. "We'll get a penguin ice sculpture." He forces a smile as he watches Oswald, their fingers entwined, twin rings shining together. Ed’s free hand slowly starts reaching for the gun. "And wear only the finest suits...Maybe Zsasz will be the flower boy." He laughs weakly as he feels the weight of the gun in his hand.

 

"Lilies on every table," Oswald whispers, wincing as Ed put to much pressure on his bad cheek. "Everyone can drink except of Harvey."

 

"He won't be happy about that," Edward sniffles, the gun feeling as if it weights a thousand pounds as he brings it up and presses it against Oswald's temple. "Perhaps we can give him apple juice and say it's alcoholic." Oswald chuckles, closing his eyes as he heard the click of the gun readying. "It will be a magic night Oswald. The best wedding Gotham has ever seen." Ed sobs as his finger shook against the trigger, cupping Oswald's cheek with his other hand. Ed's own ring shined on his finger, standing out against Oswald's pale cheek. "I can't do it," he sobs, pressing their foreheads together as he tries to force himself to pull the trigger. "I can't do it Os."

 

"It's okay Ed, it'll be okay," Oswald whispers to him, voice low and calming. Edward couldn't see through the tears in his eyes as his finger put pressure on the trigger. "I love you Oswald." Before he could add the amount of pressure needed to fire the gun, Kristen opened up the door.

 

"Times up you two. Oh! Looks like Eddie was planning on blowing your brains out without me watching. That's rude Ed, I was looking forward to that." Kristen grins, coming up to stand beside them. "Well come on, let's get this over with. While this has been fun, it's been going on for a long time now.”

 

"Untie me," Oswald breathes, hardly even said above a whisper.

 

Kristen humored expression drops, looking at Oswald as if he just sprouted four new heads. “Excuse me?”

 

"I asked if you would untie me. At least give me that bit of decency. It's not like I can escape. I can't see or move." Oswald opens his eye to stare at her, "just give me the freedom to hold my lover's hand before I go. Let me not have to feel these shackles as I die.”

 

Kristen narrows her eyes at him, but still she pulls out the keys. "I can't trust you very much, Ozzie, so if you try anything, I'll blow Ed's big brain out right in front of you."

 

"As expected,” Oswald wheezes. Ed steps to the side as Kristen unlocks one of Oswald's wrists. Oswald is still and he forces a weak smile for her.

 

“Thank you,” He stretches his hand, turning it to look at his ring before laying it down on his lap. Three more clicks follow and the restraints come undone.

 

“Again, try anything and I will-“ Kristen was cut off as Oswald flings himself out of his chair. Edwards eyes widen and he points his gun at their flailing bodies. He couldn’t fire his gun, not trusting his own aim and he couldn’t risk her threat that she had men waiting for it to go off. Oswald screams as she kicks at his broken knee and pressed her fingers against his wounded eye. He has saved ever ounce of strength he has for this. Has had this planned since he woke to them bound to the chairs. Oswald punched her again and again in the face, his hands going around her throat and slamming her head against the floor. “You won’t hurt Ed! You won’t touch me again! You crazy bitch!”

 

Oswald let out a choked gasp as he slams her head against the floor one more time with enough strength to knock her out. He leaned over her, panting heavily as the strength was quickly leaving his body.

 

Edward was still pointing the gun at them. The panic and shock lowering enough for him to step closer to them. “Oswald,” he says with a shaky breath. Once he was close enough he sees Kristen bruised unconscious face. “She’s out cold.” He laughs with relief. “We can get out!” But Oswald didn’t move, continuing to lean over her and let out a wheezed breath. “Oswald?”

 

Oswald slowly collapses to the floor, rolling onto his back to reveal a bloody wound in his lower stomach. Kristen had stabbed him during their struggle. “Keys,” Oswald wheezes, keeping his hand over his bleeding wound. “Get her keys Ed.”

 

Ed drops the gun as he falls at Kristen's side. He grabs the bloody knife she used to stab Oswald, folding it up and putting it in his pocket. “Ed,” he looks up to see Oswald pointing by the chair, Kristen had dropped the keys when he attacked her. Ed swipes them up, scurrying to his feet. Oswald turns into his side, vomiting up a mouthful of blood causing Ed to further panic. "Hang in there, Oswald." Ed keeps the gun secured to his side with his belt. His hands reach under Oswald and he contemplates the best way to carry him. Oswald grunts as Ed's hand cradles the back of his neck. "Get help...I'll stay." Ed wonders how much time he has until Kristen's henchmen close in on them.

 

"I’m not leaving you, we are leaving this place together.” Ed wishes he had his cellphone on him and he could call Zsasz. He couldn’t plan their escape if they didn’t know who was out there and there they were. “Ed,” Oswald stops him before he could pick him up. “The ring boxes.” Of course that is what Oswald worries about, not the wound that’s making him lose even more blood. Ed grabs boxes, putting them in his pocket before going back to his fiancée. All they had was a knife and a gun with one bullet in it. He gently scoops him up, Oswald having to bit his lip so he wouldn’t cry out. “Sorry,” Ed kisses his forehead. “We are getting out of here.”

 

The weight of his dangling broken leg brings a new wave of shooting pain that has Oswald ready to pass out. He brings his tattered cravat to his mouth and bites down. "Just hold on," Ed murmurs. He stops near an entryway to listen for anything while readjusting Oswald's form.

 

The warehouse looked empty, no sign of any one else. Usually bodyguards were closer to their boss then this. He was expecting to see one or two near the door. “Do you think she was lying about having her own men?”

 

"No," Oswald mutters, draping an arm around Edward's neck. He trusts that Kristen has several tricks up her sleeve. They weren’t alone. Ed carries his partner past towers of crates until he sees a loading dock door, completely unguarded. “Ed, just leave me. I’m slowing you down.” To his surprise Ed actually put him down. Carefully, he sets Oswald down on a shelf beside a stack of boxes.

 

“Stay here, I am going to look ahead."

 

Oswald couldn’t argue that that wasn’t a bad idea. He wanted him to leave him behind anyway. Ed can barely carry himself, let another person. Ed looking ahead by himself would let them have a better chance. If that bitch hadn’t took their stuff help would be here by now. Oswald’s eyes widen as realization hits him. They had their rings. Kristen never searched them. “Ed-"

 

"No, it will be fine.” Ed stops him, cupping his cheek. “Just stay awake and stay quite."

 

"Edward, you don’t understand this isn't necessary just listen-"

 

"I'm going to see if there is some car I can steal or some phone I can grab." Ed kisses him, brushing his hair out of his eyes before he arranged the empty boxes around him. "I'll be back soon.”

 

"Ed, I have my-“ but Ed had already run off. Oswald curses, leaning his head back against the wall. If his stubbornness got him killed Oswald wouldn’t forgive him.

 

Leaving him was the last thing he wanted to do, but he couldn't risk it. Ed can barely carry him when he didn't have a hole in his leg. He never had the best aim, carrying someone and trying to shoot would be impossible. He needed to hurry so he can grab Oswald and they can get the hell out of here. Once he was sure Oswald was well hidden Ed left, sneaking around to peak around the dock door. Not one person in sight. "What do you have planned Kristen." Ed took out the gun, holding it steady as he looked for some means of transportation. His psycho of an ex should still be knocked out and with the door locked behind them that should keep her held up for a while. All he needed to worry about was any other person who was here. "Damn it, just give me a car."

 

Ed felt a rush of relief when he saw the mover truck. He limped over to it as fast and carefully as he could. But as he went around to the driver side he let out a half cry of surprise. A dead man, face down with blood pooling under him laid on the concrete. Someone had taken him out, and recently. The man was wearing a Gotham Fishing Co. uniform. No gun. He was a civilian. Not rough and tumble bodyguards. Kristen was trying to hide all of this in plan sight. At least Ed knew where they were now. Kristen took them to one of the hold fishing docks. There was some good news in that, they weren't far from a hospital.

 

Edward leans down to search the body for the keys to the truck. The squeak of a shoe had him turning around and ready to fire. But his hand was grabbed and twisted, forcing him to drop the gun.

 

"Easy! Just me Second Boss,” a very familiar voice tells him, letting go of his hand.

 

"Zsasz!" Ed gasps, sighing with relief as he looks up at the bald assassin. "Thank God. How the hell did you know we were here?"

 

"Boss called me," Victor said simply, putting his gun back in its holster. "Said there was trouble and to get here as fast as he could. Also said something about you running off like an idiot and I needed to get here before you got yourself in trouble.”

 

"He...he called you? How did he...when did he..." Ed shook his head, "forget it! Lets just get him, he needs to go to a hospital."

 

The two men hurry to the last place he left Oswald, finding him still leaning against the wall with a phone in his hand. He had an amused smirk on his face, even while being close to death he just had to be a smartass. "You had your phone! Why didn't you tell me!"

 

Oswald huffs, "I tried...you didn't listen. So I let you go play hero while I called Victor. I knew it wouldn't take long. You are lucky he was on a lunch break.”

 

Victor nods, “I was having tacos.”

 

Edward blushes red with embarrassment. "How did you even give him the address?"

 

"I recognized the place, Maroni used to sell from in here and I used to help. Plus, you shot me three warehouses down. Gotham is my home Ed, I know every building in this city."

 

“I’m not kissing you until all of this is over," Ed sneers, but he can't hide his relieved smile. They're going to be okay.

 

"You're a wreck, boss." Zsasz picks him up with more ease than Ed ever could. Oswald responds by resting his head on Zsasz's shoulder. A shiver runs up Ed's spine when he notices how pale Oswald looks. "Hang in there, Oswald."

 

Oswald kept his hand against his stomach as Zsasz carries him to the car. The pain was numbing now and he just wanted to sleep. His eye has swollen shut, but at least it has stopped bleeding. Edward opens the door and gets in, helping lay Oswald down in the backseat. His head lays on his lap. Ed leans down, petting his hair and whispering softly to him. “You are going to be okay.” Oswald looks so tiny and pale. He has never seen him so broken. Even with all the pain he was in he still tried to put on a brave face.

 

“I don’t get a kiss,” he whispers, humming as Ed runs his fingers through his hair. “I think I deserve all the kisses I want.”

 

Ed humors him with a kiss to the forehead. "You'll get another once you're all bandaged up." A tear rolls down his cheek and lands on Oswald's. "Sorry," Ed murmurs, wiping it away with his thumb. Zsasz watches the couple from the rear view, grinning when he sees Ed’s ring. "Hey boss, stay alive and I'll get some champagne for after you get patched up," he promises.

 

“The food is still out at home,” Oswald says lightly, as if spoiled food is any concern right now. “I had set up a cheese and chocolate fountain.” Ed continued to pet his hair, choking up as he saw him begin to fall asleep. “We will take care of it Ozzie. You just rest, you will be better in no time.” Ed looks up at Zsasz, a look that pleaded for him to hurry.

 

The hide to the hospital felt like it took hours, Zsasz speeding as fast as he could down the busy streets. It was even a longer wait once they arrived and got Oswald rushed in for surgery. Time felt frozen once Oswald’s hand was taken from his and was out of his sight.

 

Here he is sitting in a waiting room with just a few stitches that only took them a few minutes to put in and Oswald has been in surgery for two hours now with still no news for how he is.

 

Paparazzi and the press kept trying to make their way inside to harass them with questions, having to be kept back by Gabe who came the second he heard what happened. Ed could hardly stay still, his foot taping and finger rolling the ring around on his finger. "The boss will be fine," Zsasz tells him, opening a bag of chips he got from the vending machine. "He is tough, real tough. So don't get so worked up over it."

 

Ed buries his face in his hands. "I want her dead." Zsasz stops chewing. "I can bring her to you," he says, his mouth full. "It'll be my wedding gift to you. I'll make sure she's tied up real good," he adds. Ed gives him a small smile, he doesn’t know what they’d do without Victor. The two turn their heads as they see a door swing open and a nurse approach their seat. "Mr. Nygma?"

 

Edward stood up to quickly, straining his leg, needing Zsasz to put his hand on his shoulder to steady him. “Is...Is he okay,” Ed asks, “can I see him?”

 

The nurse smiles, “he will be fine. He is out of surgery and in his room. He is asleep, which is good, he needs a lot of rest. But you are welcome to go see him.”

 

The relief that washes over Ed brings fresh tears to his eyes. He feels that he can properly breathe again and the shaking in his knees weakens. "Yes!" he blurts out, unaware that he's standing at an uncomfortably close distance to the nurse. He steps back when the nurse gives him a wary look. "Yes. Let me see him. Please!"

 

Ed is led to Oswald's room, a private suite. After checking Oswald's vitals, the nurse leaves to give the two a moment alone. Ed drops down in the chair beside his bed and breaks down into sobs at his fiance's side. He reaches for Oswald's hand and gingerly kisses his fingertips. The warmth to his skin has returned, as has the color in his cheeks. "I'm spoiling you rotten when we get home," he vows. "Don't even think about lifting a finger until you're all better." The nurse told him Oswald needed a lot of bed rest and had to stay off his feet for a couple of weeks. Ed will make sure their bedroom has everything he'll need to be as comfortable as possible.

 

Oswald's heart monitor beat steadily as Ed sat there holding his hand. His chest was wrapped in a bandage, leg up on a sling, and the right side of his face was wrapped in a bandage as well. It could have been so much worse. Edward should be grateful Oswald was so quick to act. If it wasn't for him, he doesn't know if they would have gotten out of there alive. He squeezes onto his hand, tears falling into the bed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I failed to protect you." A light returning squeeze had Ed looking up. Oswald let out a groan, head lax against the pillow. "Stop saying you are sorry you idiot." Ed laughs, throwing his arms around him and cries into his shoulder. "Easy," Oswald hissed, patting his back. "I still could be dying."

 

"You are not dying," Ed assures him, leaning up to smile down at him. "The doctors were able to save you. Your knee was cracked and you have two broken ribs. So no walking or moving for a few weeks. They said you are lucky the stab wound didn't hit anything vital. You needed a blood transfusion, which is no surprise. But they were able to stitch it up with no cause for concern. They suspect you will have some scars, but I don't think we should care about that." Ed smile disappeared when he saw Oswald's serious expression. "Oswald?"

 

"And my eye, what about my eye Edward?"

 

Ed pauses, getting off him to sit in his chair again. "It's why you were in surgery so long. They were able to stitch up and mend as much as they good, but.." He let the words drift off, hoping Oswald would just let to be for now. He needed rest, and shouldn't be worry about any of this.

 

"But," Oswald glares at him with his unbandaged eye. He has really perfected the art of glaring at him. "Tell me Ed."

 

Edward took his hand in his, caressing the wedding ring on his finger. "You will have some vision loss. They won't know how much until it's healed enough to remove the bandage and stitches."

 

"So I could be blind?"

 

"No, come on stay positive. Perhaps you will have some loss of vision, but you won't be blind Ozzie."

 

He bares his teeth and the heart rate monitor at his bedside reacts. Ed stands and rests his palm against Oswald's left cheek. "All that matters is that you're alive." He feels Oswald's jaw relax. "You were supposed to die today. We both were." He shows off the ring on his finger. "We're engaged now. Let's focus on that! Husband," he adds with a smirk.

 

"Not husbands just yet,” Oswald corrects him, “but that will change the moment I’m out of this bed.”

 

“We can have a spring wedding,” Ed grins, “We can even start planning it right now so I can kiss my new husband faster.”

 

Oswald smirks, cupping the back of Ed’s neck. “How about kissing your fiancée? If I remember correctly someone promised to kiss me once I’m all fixed.”

 

"I did, didn't I?" Ed hums. He leans in to reward his fiance with a kiss on the lips. "You can have all the kisses you like now."

 

"I'd say get a room, but you already have one," Zsasz retorts from the doorway. "Just wanted to check up on you before I nab the girl."

 

The kiss is short-lived and Oswald shoots Victor a glare. "I should yell at you, but I owe you, Victor," Oswald states. "If there's anything you need, just say the word."

 

"I want to be your best man.”

 

"Done.”

 

"And I want you to pay for my lunch for a year.”

 

Oswald rolls his eyes, “I pretty much do that anyway. You always eat our food.”

 

"Fine, I want a cat.”

 

"No.”

 

"A dog?”

 

"Definitely not.”

 

"How about a hamster?”

 

"I’ll think about it.”

 

Victor grins, “sweet!”

 

"I’d like a dog,” Ed adds, smiling at Oswald who just glares at him. “You have a bird, and that’s all you get.”

 

"I'll let you think about it." Ed winks, causing Oswald to roll his eyes. "Just focus on getting better."

 

Oswald waits for Zsasz to leave before heaving a sigh. He looked small again, his tough act gone and the side he only lets Ed see returns. "Will you stay?"

 

"I never planned on leaving you," Ed assures. He will never leave him, never. Oswald's fingers lace around Ed's. The rings that connect them clink together. “Thank you."

 

The two of them stayed together in silence, the hours ticking until moonlight shined through the curtains. Sleeping here would be uncomfortable, but Ed will make it work. Ed’s head laid on the bed, their hands intwined, their hearts beating as one. They were alive, they were together, and they have proved they would face what lies ahead together.

 

"You know, I think you’d look pretty hot with a monocle.”

 

"Just go to sleep Ed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you are all having a lovely Valentine's day. Sorry this wasn't super fluffy, but I hope you enjoyed it none the less. Keep an eye out for the next story for this series. It will be all fluff and smut, no hurting the boys in it.
> 
> Remember to go follow Erin: http://my-chemical-romanoff.tumblr.com/


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